Welcome to Jakarta!
is what my taxi driver Dedi said before he charged me 200,000 rupiah ($20 USD) for a ride to my hotel which was 10 minutes from the airport. I had just gotten to Jakarta and was too exhausted to argue.
Anyway, hello all! After 20 hours in the air, 6 movies, 2 layovers I’ve finally made it to Indo. Just wanted to write and say that I’m well and that I have arrived safely.
I met my first Indonesian friend on the plane to Jakarta. Her name is Eni and she’s 24 yrs old. Eni worked in Hong Kong for two years as a house maid. Her contract expired and so she’s heading back home to East Java. We talked for quite a bit and she taught me a few Bahasa words and conversational phrases. Which came in handy, because I just realized I had left my SE Asia Lonely Planet book back home. Josh and I must have missed it when we were repacking my backpack 🙁 Well it turns out that I was Eni’s first American friend so we swapped contact info, took a picture and headed our seperate ways.
Jakarta is the capital of Indo. It was crazy busy, traffic….I had to get out. So I caught an early flight out to Bali the next day. I had a three hour wait at the airport so I decided to grab my first taste of the local food. Does it count if its at the airport? 🙂 lol… Nasi Goreng is what I ordered. (Fried rice w/ chicken, veg, and spices) with a bottle of water. Total price: 25,000 rupiah ($2.50) Pretty cheap eh? And this is airport price – so It must be cheaper outside!
Quick Observation: The waiter hands you the menu and waits at your table until you are ready to order. What? Seriously… Luckily I already knew what I wanted so it didn’t take me that long. As for the man across the room it took him 15 minutes to order! Patience is key for these waiters:)
So I settled in Kuta – Poppies Lane II (southern bali) in a cozy room for $7 a night. Kuta is about 10 minutes from the airport and my taxi only cost me $5 which was definitely a big difference in Jakarta. I will probably stay here for a few days and then meet up with Marcelina (Josh’s good friend). Marcelina is a local so I’m sure she’ll show me the ropes! I’m excited!
I promise I’ll post some pics soon…
I’m off to explore Kuta… Hope all is well.
Cheers, Sophia
Tags: Indonesia
sdizon
wow sops….i’m so excited and happy your doing good…Bali must be really nice bcuz its a tourism spot for that side of the country….you take care girl…
Whoa! $20 for a taxi ride for 10 mins? That’s pretty steep in Asia…
Sounds like you had quite a plane ride. I’d be insane if I had to go through more than 1 stop, lol.
Eating at the airport doesn’t count! You gotta eat on the streets and then get sick to call yourself a true tourist!
OMG…the waiters at ALL the pho places I’ve been at does the same thing….they stand next to you waiting for you to order. Talk about pressure…..
hurry up with the pictures!!! 🙂
I had a feeling Jakarta was going to be a roughy. Did you get to experience the 4am Muslim wake up call?
Congrats on eating your first meal alone…. Make sure Marcelina takes you to get the nasi uduk… One of the fav’s out there….
I just spoke with Marcel. Contact her by phone she wants to take you out and is waiting for your call so she can pick you up.
Hiii Sophia! Can’t believe that your already there! And I can’t believe you ate your first meal by yourself… you usually wait for us to eat. (hehe).. just like how you wait for me to sleep.
Well, I look forward to hearing more about your adventures and your encounters.
I love you..
Be safe.
Hey cousin,
I’m very excited to follow along with you on your trip!! I am very excited for you and I’ll be reading your blogs!! Be safe, and love ya!!
Hi Sophia!
So happy you arrived all and well. Bali is suppose to be very beautiful. I look forward hearing about your trip and will definitely be checking in on all the good eats! Take Care….mwah!
Yeah I know I’m a little late. Been really busy at work, school, and of course the 2 boys. Well it seems like you’re having a good time. Just remember everything seems so cheap so you tend to spend more, then everything starts to add up. Trust me, I’ve been through part of that world many times. Well I hope you get the chance to catch Marcelina so you can really enjoy your stay. Have fun and be safe. Donovan and Seth says hi, especially Donovan….